Window shade or drape



Sgpt. s, 1942. H. M. SUTTON 2,295,137

WINDOW SHADE OR DRAPE Filed March 3, 1941 Patented Sept. 8, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW SHADE OR DRAPE Homer'M. Sutton, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 3; 1941, Serial No. 381,488

,3'Claims. (Cl. 156-10) "My invention'relates' to shades or drapes, for windows and the like; made of textile material and involvingimeans, preferably" in the nature of cords, intimatelyasso'ciated with the shade material 'orfabric'whereby the material or fabric maybe selectively 'shirred by the user, thus affording flexibility in the festoo'ning or pufling effect in'keeping with the desires of each individual user, without the use of mechanical or other extraneous devices.

The invention 'has'for its 'object the provision of shirring'means 'or cords so associated with the shade or drape-forming material that the puffs in the shade may be straightened or smoothed 'out'along'the s'hirring cords and the material're'stored to its original formto permit itto be laundered and ironed flat and then rehung "and again shirred to "provide the desired pufiing effect.

' Theinvention also involves suitable pull cords for adjusting the drape or shade to suitthe fancy of the'user, namely pull cords detachably secured at'their' lower ends to a suitable part of the shadeandarrange'd coincident with the shirring points or shirring cords and maintained in position by "suitable'loops intimately associated with the shade'material; the control or pull cords passing upwardlyparallel with and adjacent to the focal shirring 'point and preferably through guide rings secured to the .top rrailof 1 the shade.

"The inventi'o'rrhas for its object the provision of an adjustable shade; drape or blind adapted to'variationsin festooning orp'ufing effects and whichat the same 'time'is'economical in manuiacture.

The foregoing objects and advantages as well asotheradvantalges inherent in the invention will allbe more readily comprehended from the detailed'description of the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 illustratesmy improved shade in elevation, withan intermediate portion broken away.

' Figure 2is'a detail sectional view taken on the line 2--2of Figure'l.

Figure 3 illustrates asection of a shade embodying amodified formiof arranging the cords; the figure showing a portiono'f the shade in elevation.

Figure 4 is 'a' cross-section taken on the line 4 4-of Figure 3.

"My invention relates to the "construction of whatanay be termed'puff shades ordrapes which may be draw'n'or rai-sedan'd' lowered by'means of suitable pull cordstthe inventioninvolving a suitable-number of-cords spaced crosswise"of the shade or blind and intimately and at the same time yieldingly associated with the woven material, whereby the material may be shifted lengthwise of the cords and the desired shirring effected; the shirring cords either being woven directly into the shade material or into the fabric of suitable bands arranged lengthwise and sewed to the shade material in substantially parallel relation at preselected distances apart across-the shade.

Inthe exemplification of the'inventionillustrated in Figure 1, the shade l0 consists of .suitable textile or woven material. of desired width and cut to length somewhat greaterithanthe vertical dimensions of the opening or window. for which the shade is intended; the upper end of the material being preferably provided with a hem at l l to receive a top rod or top rail as-shown at 12; and'the top of the shade preferably provided withsuitable rings or eye-screws l3-which screw into the top rail and are spaced apart inkeeping with the location of thepull or. control cords whose lower ends are removablyisecured, as. for example, to eyelets at l5 which are inserted through the lowerhem [6 which is sewed to the shade at a distance removed from the bottom of the shade to provide a pocket adapted to receive a metal or suitable rod which serves as a weight and may also serve as an anchorage for the lower ends of the respective controller pull cards. In order to enhance the artisticappearance and afford a proper finish, the bottom of the shade is shown provided with fringe as at H. I

r In the exemplification-E'igure 1, one side of the shade, at predetermined distances apart, transversely of the shade, is shown provided with suitablebands I8 extending from the top rail receiving-hem II to the bottom of the shade and securely sewed. along the-longitudinal edgestothe shade fabric or material H].

These bands, which consist of a suitable fabric or textile materiaL-as for example material-similar to the shade, have cords woven therein,:-ex tending lengthwise of the bands adjacent opposite edges thereof (see Figure 2) and-with their upper ends extending beyond the bands as shown at ill to permit the cords to be grasped when the shade is to be shirred. The cords 19, which extend parallel-with the warp of the fabric; are so woven intothe fabric as to .be in frictional contact with the woofthreads of thefabricwhile at the same time permitting relative-movement between the woof threads and the'cords in order that the bands and the main shade'clothor material may be puckered or gathered to provide the desired pufling or shirring, which is accomplished by grasping the free or exposed ends of the shirring cords l9 and gathering the cloth lengthwise of the cords to provide the desired pufling in keeping with the Wishes to the user; the upper free ends of the shirring cords 19, after the shirring has been accomplished, being preferably secured to the respective rings I3 in order to maintain the shirred condition of the shade and the free ends of the cords may then be conlcealed as for example in the upper hem I l of the shade.

In view of the fact that the bands l8 are securely sewed to the main shade material, it is evident that the puckering of the bands will cause a similar condition in the shade material; it also being understood that all of the shirring cords must be held against movement so that the respective sections of the shade may be similarly shirred.

With my improved construction, the use of metal or mechanical devices for effecting the shirring is obviated and consequently the possibility of producing rust stains on the shade material as a result of the metal devices becoming rusted is eliminated and a considerable latitude in shirring effects provided.

It is apparent that my improved shade may be easily renovated or laundered and ironed flat by simply untying the lower ends of the pull cord l4, removing the top and the bottom rods and the cord guide elements or rings l3, untying the upper ends of the shirring cords l9 and smoothing out the shirring.

The pull cords I4 are preferably arranged at points coincident with the shirring cords and I therefore provide the respective bands l8 with a suitable number of pull cord receiving guide loops 20 disposed transversely of the bands and composed of short pieces of narrow material whose ends are sewed to the bands so as to permit the pull cords M to pass through the loops 20 as shown more clearly in Figure 2. The pull or control [cords I 4 are of length sufiicient to extend through the guide rings at the top of the shade and toward one side so they may hang down at the side of the shade within easy reach; the free ends of the cords being preferably grouped and secured together in order that uniform pulling action on all cords and sections of the shade may be obtained.

In Figures 3 and 4, I show a modification wherein the shade material I!) is shown with the shirring cords l9 woven warp-wise into the shade material, namely with some of the woof threads arranged on each side of the cords l9 and therefore permitting relative movement be tween the cords and the fabric. The shirring cords [9 are of length'greater than the normal length of the shade material and th lower ends of the cords are immovably secured in the fabric while the upper ends of the cords extend beyond the shade material or fabric to permit the exposed ends to be held against movement, for example by tying them to the rings or screw-eyes on the shade supporting rod at the top of the shade, as shown in Figure l; the curtain or shade material then being pulled or selectively shirred in keeping with the wishes of the user. The shirring cords [9, in order to provide the proper effect, are preferably arranged in pairs with the ICOIdS of each pair arranged a suitable distance apart and the pairs spaced apart crosswisely of the shade at predetermined distances apart, as indicated in Figure 1, wherein the shade is shown with four pairs of shirring cords which are prefera/bly arranged equal distances apar In addition to weaving the shirring cords directly into the shade fabric, the modification of Figures 3 and 4 also involves the arrangement of a guide cord 2| extending from top to bottom of the shade and intimately secured to the shade at slight distance apart by passing or weaving a few of the woof threads across the guide cord 2| as shown at 22, except at prearranged intervals of say three and a half or four inches apart where the guide cord 2| is allowed to float across the woof threads so as to be free or unattached, as shown at Zi adjacent the top of the figure.

The guide cords, which are preferably arranged intermediate the shirring cords of each pair, are intended to be immovably woven or secured to the fabric and extend from top to bottom of the shade, extending parallel with the shirring cords throughout their lengths from top to bottom when the shade is in unpuifed or unshirred condition. As is apparent, when the shade is shirred, the free floating portions 2|.

of the guide cords 2| will loop outwardly as shown at 21' and thus provide a number of loops, spaced apart lengthwisely, to receive the pullcords, one' of which is shown at M whereby the pull cords are held parallel with the focal shirring'points of the shade.

With the guide cords intimately associated with the shade material as described, the need for applying or sewing on separate guide loops or rings to receive the pull cords is eliminated and a complete unitary structure provided.

When desired, the shade may be removed from:

the supporting pole or rod after untying the upper ends of the shirring cords, untying the lower ends of the pull cords and removing the pull.

cords, the fabric may then be pulled out lengthwisely of the shirring cords into flat or normal condition for laundering and ironing.

With puffed or shirred shades as heretofore made this is impossible because of the permanent nature of the shirring. After the shade 'has been renovated the upper end is again secured to.

the top rail or rod, the upper exposed ends of the shirring cords held or secured to the shade securing fasteners and the shade materialshifted lengthwise of the shirring cords to provide the degree of shirring desired by the user; The pull cords may then be secured at their lower ends to the lower shade rod and passed upwardly either through the loops 20in the form shown in Figure 1, or throughthe free floating portions 2| of the guide cords 2|, as shown in Figure 3, and the pull cords at the top of the shade passed through suitable guides and'across the top of the shade toward one side where they all may be grasped for raising or lowering the shade.

I have shown what are believed to be the best exemplifications of the'invention and have, described the same in terms employed for purposes of description and not as terms of limitation, as modifications may be made without, however, de-

parting from the spirit of myinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a shade of the character describedc omposed of textile material; a cord woven length-- wisely into the material upon which themate rial may be selectively shirred lengthwiselyof the cord and held in shirred condition; and a;- cord woven into the material with portionsof the cord at preselected distances; apart ifloatedf across the threads of the material to provide pull cord guiding loops when the material is shirred.

2. In a shade of the character described composed of textile material cords arranged in spaced apart pairs Woven into the material upon which the material may be selectively shirred, and a cord woven into the material intermediate a pair of the first mentioned cords and disposed substantially parallel therewith with portions of said last mentioned cord at preselected distances apart floated across the transversely extending threads of the material to provide pull-cord receiving loops when the material is shirred.

3. In a shade of the character described composed of textile material, a cord woven into the material upon which the material may be selectively shirred, and a cord woven into the material adjacent the first mentioned cord with portions of said cord at preselected distances apart floated across the transversely extending threads of the material to provide loops when the material is shirred lengthwise of the first mentioned cord.

HOMER M. SUTTON. 

